In 1994, an editor at Smithsonian Magazine who had read my work in Soundings asked if I’d like to write for her. Would I?! Over time, Smithsonian sent me to South Africa to cover the BOC Round-the-World yacht race, and 240 feet down in a submersible to witness the wreck of the Civil War ironclad Monitor as its turret was being recovered. More recently, I’ve shifted my writing to Smithsonian.com, where I’m focusing on environmental and science stories.